It's Not Personal

Sometimes I wish I could capture and bottle the feelings I have during the first few months of school. I'm super happy, patient and optimistic about the school year. That's how I'm feeling these days. I'm able to deal with negative behaviors quickly, some small things I may even choose to ignore, and I focus on the positives and keep things moving. But inevitably, during the course of the year, when kids and teachers get a bit weary, emotions can get the best of us...





Schools have been closed for two days now because of Hurricane Irma. We spent all of yesterday at home. All. Day. We played board games, dominoes, watched a lot of CNN and the storm coverage with those silly looking reporters getting pushed around by Irma's wind and rain. Eventually some of us got a little stir-crazy!

So this morning The Hubs and I decided to venture out and escape the confines of our house. We ended up at Chick-fil-A to get some breakfast sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits.

"Mrs. Cooke! Mrs. Cooke!"

There standing behind the register was one of my former students. She reached her hand across the counter and held mine with the biggest smile on her face.

"She taught me in the seventh grade," she says somewhat bashfully to her co-worker.

After we placed our order, Angeles, my former student, walked over to me and gave me a hug.

"I'm so sorry for how I was in your class. I wasn't nice. I'm so sorry."

"I don't remember you being that way, and if you weren't nice, I didn't take it personally."

And that's the truth. I remember Angeles, but I really don't remember her being mean. The thing is, middle school is tough. Kids are growing up and changing, they're going through puberty and they're emotional. What's important is that they grow up and can eventually own up to their mistakes.

I think I will try to remember this happiness and calmness and bottle it up for the end of this year when I know I'll need it.

Thanks Angeles for reminding me that students say and do things they'll eventually regret, that teachers shouldn't take it personally, and that we're all learning and growing, no matter how old we get.